Masthead
August 5, 2014
Executive Director Update
 
Today's weather is perfect for National Night Out (NNO) and getting out to meet your neighbors and local law enforcement officers. Although NNO was created to help keep neighborhoods healthy and safe, block parties are also a lot of fun! There are close to 1500 events in the city of Minneapolis registered as part of NNO this year. To see a PDF of registered events in the City, click here.
See you in the neighborhood!!  -- Linnea
National Night Out  
Tuesday, August 5, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Chicago Plaza, Chute Square, West River Parkway at Hennepin Ave and other neighborhood block party locations
National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, holding block parties and getting to know their neighbors as a way to encourage crime prevention.  It's a great way to promote community-police partnerships and enjoy a Minnesota summer evening surrounded by friends and family.
 
MCC members and guests.  No registration required.  
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat 
Wednesday, August 6, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Guthrie Theater, Level 5 Express, 818 S 2nd St
Join us to discuss Driftless, by David Rhodes. This book offers a fascinating and entirely unsentimental portrait of a town apparently left behind by the march of time. At once intimate and funny, wise and generous, Driftless is an unforgettable story of contemporary life in rural America. The few hundred souls who inhabit Words, Wisconsin, are an extraordinary cast of characters: the middle-aged couple who zealously guards their farm from a scheming milk cooperative, the lifelong invalid,crippled by conflicting emotions about her sister, a cantankerous retiree, haunted by childhood memories after discovering a cougar in his haymow and the former drifter who forever alters the ties that bind a community. In his first novel in 30 years, David Rhodes offers a vivid look at how each life affects many.

 

MCC members and guests.  No reservations required!

Social Bridge

Wednesday, August 6, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Stone Arch Lofts Community Room, 600 S 2nd St

Join advanced or intermediate bridge players for a round of social bridge.  You are expected to come with a partner at your level.  (Advanced players play all major conventions comfortably).  If you need help finding a partner, contact Carol Jordan at 612-817-0466 or caroljordan@millcitycommons.org and she will assist you.  Play beings immediately at 3:00 pm.

 

Members sign up here; Guests email MCC. 

Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women 
Thursday, August 7, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Flour Sack Flats, 521 SE 2nd St, #512
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women. This group meets every other Thursday alternating between morning and afternoon times. Peg Kavaney hosts on the topic of "Impact of Biases."  Biases are formed through life experiences. We heard them in our communities, education, family,  friends, media and other sources.  What biases/assumptions did we hear in our growing up years.  
What was the impact? What caused us to either change or hold onto these assumptions?  
 
Please note:  parking can be a challenge.  Consider carpooling or walking, if possible.

Women MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Gather at the Walker 
Thursday, August 7, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Gather by D'Amico, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave
Guest chef Beth Fisher from Wise Acre Eatery brings farm-to-table specialties to Gather in August.  Enjoy Happy Hour drink specials and $5 small plates.  (Happy Hour seating limited to the first 12 registrants.)  Delight in an exhibit after; gallery admission is free from 5 to 9 pm on Thursdays. Christian Marclay's The Clock unfolds on the Walker's screen as a 24-hour montage sampling thousands of excerpts from the history of film that indicate the passage of time.  Entry to The Clock is on a first-come basis -- wait times may apply.

MCC members sign up here.
St. Paul Saints Game
Sunday, August 10, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Midway Stadium, 1771 Energy Park Dr, St. Paul
Take yourself out to a ball game this summer and enjoy cheering on the Saints with other MCC members!  The Saint Paul Saints are playing the Sioux City Explorers at Midway Stadium.  A block of seats have been reserved in left field between home plate and 3rd base.  The ticket price for each seat is $15, payable to MCC.

MCC members sign up here.
Men's Coffee and Conversation 
Thursday, August 14, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Coffee and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.  This week's conversation leader is Bill Davnie who would like to hear about others' experiences as grandfathers.  Have you moved to be closer, or encouraged adult children to move closer?  Have you connected with grandchildren as they have grown?

 

Men MCC Members sign up here; Guests email MCC.

Sunday Salad Soiree
Sunday, August 17, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Carlyle Community Room, 100 3rd Ave S
Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Salad Soiree hosted by Bill and Charlotte Davnie.  Each member can contribute to the potluck by bringing an appetizer, hearty salad, bread, or dessert, and your own beverage.  As you register, let us know what you will bring by responding to the "Question."  

MCC members sign up here.
Nosy Neighbor Tour:  Union Depot
Tuesday, August 19, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Union Depot, 214 Fourth St E, St. Paul
Catch a 10:00 am train on Metro Transit's Green Line to the end of the line and St. Paul's historic Union Depot for a Nosy Neighbor Tour. We will learn about the building's use over time, how crews restored the structure to its original splendor, and how a commitment to sustainability and green building practices led to Union Depot's certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). You will be on your feet for the whole 60 minutes. Tour is the equivalent of walking approximately 4 blocks. Union Depot does not provide wheelchairs, but you may bring your own.

 

MCC members sign up here.

Alive Inside 
August 19 late afternoon.  Exact time and location to be announced in next week's Musings.
Attend a screening of Alive Inside, an award-winning documentary film, and join neighbors for a conversation after the film.  The film focuses on Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization "Music and Memory," who discovered that for people with memory loss, favorite songs are intact in a part of the brain that is still alive when all other communication and awareness seem irretrievably lost.  Watch as music makes blank faces and somber visages erupt into joy.  Meet for cheese, wine, and discussion after the film at the home of MCC members Karla Ekdahl and Peter Hutchinson.  MSP Film Society's Executive Director will kick off the discussion. 
 
MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
News from Members

MCC member Dick Kavaney wants members to know that the DNR is inviting public comment by August 15 on the proposed Mississippi River Critical Area rules.  Read the proposed rules, make comments, or click here for more information. 
 
MCC member Karla Ekdahl shares that registration is now open for a new chorus at MacPhail Center for Music for people with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.  For more information on the "Giving Voice Chorus," click here.  

Are you an aspiring filmmaker?  MCC member Merle Minda suggests you submit an entry into the Mississippi Minute Film Festival.  The idea is to inspire, inform, and energize others in how the river can enliven our city in just 60 seconds!  For details, click here.
Around Town

Diaspora, A Fashion Show

August 16, 9:00 pm, The Lab Theater, 700 First St N

Through the inclusion of diverse design talent, models, music and art, this show celebrates the variety of Africa in a unique approach to history through the fashion lens, as well as providing a clear vision for the future.  Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here.

 

Sustainable Soiree

September 7, 4:00-7:30 pm, Mill City Museum Train Shed, 750 Second St S

Celebrate the bounty of the harvest with a delicious farmers market dinner that will benefit the Mill City Farmers Market.  Enjoy cocktails, local beer and wine, live music and unique silent and live auctions.  Seating is limited, so please RSVP by August 15. Tickets start at $125 and can be purchased here.

 

Mill City Times

It's a metro website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, etc.  Check it out at MillCityTimes.com. 

MCC Upcoming Events 
View the August Calendar here

 

August 5:  Program Committee meeting. 

August 5:  National Night Out.  Members click here.

August 6:  Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat.  No reservations required.

August 6:  Social Bridge.  Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 7:  Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women.  Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 7:  Gather at the Walker.  Members click here.

August 10:  Saint Paul Saints Game.  Members click here.

August 13:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

August 13:  MCC Board of Directors Meeting.  Members click here.

August 14:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 17:  Sunday Salad Soiree.  Members click here.  

August 19:  Nosy Neighbor Tour:  Union Depot.  Members click here.

August 19:  Alive Inside.  Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 20:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

August 20:  Social Bridge. Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 21:  Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women.  Members click here.  Guests email MCC.

August 26:  Nosy Neighbor Tour:  MN Opera Center.  Members click here.  

August 26:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour.  No reservations required.
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

 

Men's B&B Lunch
Elsie's Restaurant,
729 Marshall St NE
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick

MCC Bike Riders 

Meet at Washburn/

Stone Arch  

parking lot 

Tuesday and Friday mornings at 7:00 am

 Several MCC members meet to bike a couple mornings during the summer. The ride covers about 12 miles in a little more than an hour.

For more details and to join the riders, please contact Ellen Breyer.  

 

MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
Driftless by David Rhodes

Rendezvous on 5

Wednesdays

Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express

Drop in and join your friends and neighbors for fellowship at this neighborhood haunt.  This weekly adventure requires no reservations!

 

Men's Coffee and Conversation  

Elsie's Restaurant,

729 Marshall Street NE

Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday morning and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.

Our Turn: A Conversation for Women 

Relax and chat with other MCC women. This group meets every other week and alternates between morning and afternoon times. Look for details in the body of this newsletter.

 

 

MCC Ongoing Fitness Opportunities


SBS Class

                            Thursdays

2:00-3:00pm
501FIT,
501 Washington Avenue
Created exclusively for MCC, this class at 501F1T focuses on strength, balance, and stretching. 
First time participants, please contact 501F1T at 612-767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.

  

  River Walkers

Tuesdays and Thursdays,

7:30-8:30am

Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot

All level of walkers welcome for this early morning walk along the banks of the Mississippi River. An MCC volunteer leads each walk.

  

Hatha Yoga

Wednesdays and Fridays,

8:00-9:15am

Yoga Center Minneapolis, 212 3rd Ave N., Suite 205

This is an alignment-based class. Purchase a 12-class pass for $132 directly from YCM to use as your schedule allows, or drop in on a class for $12.50. Contact Dena at 612-436-4700 for details.

Drop-ins welcome.

 
Mill City Commons | 219 Main Street SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
612-455-3329